


No matter what you chose you're gonna live it

by Lynge



Series: I'm stuck with these Chucklefucks [3]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Aiden Lives (The Witcher), Awkward Boners, Bipolar Aiden, Coming Out, Communication, Gender Dysphoria, Hand Jobs, I added a chapter because I needed closure, Light Angst, M/M, Oral Sex, Trans Aiden (The Witcher), Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:54:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynge/pseuds/Lynge
Summary: Once summer closed in on Toussaint and the temperature started to increase, so did Lambert's complaining. "You can just take off some of your armor," Aiden suggested as he looked at his companion in exasperation."Aiden! You are brilliant!" Lambert's eyes went wide in feigned amazement. "Or better yet, why don't I just offer myself up to whatever we run into on a silver platter?" He narrowed his eyes in contemplation, "do you think a ghoul would need a knife?"***This is what happens when two witchers that have a pretty different outlook on life start traveling together.
Relationships: Aiden/Lambert (The Witcher)
Series: I'm stuck with these Chucklefucks [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869061
Comments: 56
Kudos: 140
Collections: Witcher Rarepair Discord Collection





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> CW:  
> \- Explicit genitalia terms used for trans character (cunt/dick);  
> \- Suicidal thoughts implied;  
> \- Childhood trauma (light);  
> \- Light Angst.  
>  _Thank yous and inspiration to be found in the End Notes. Kudo's and comments fuel my writing boner._

Once summer closed in on Toussaint and the temperature started to increase, so did Lambert's complaining. "You can just take off some of your armor," Aiden suggested as he looked at his companion in exasperation. 

"Aiden! You are brilliant!" Lambert's eyes went wide in feigned amazement. "Or better yet, why don't I just offer myself up to whatever we run into on a silver platter?" He narrowed his eyes in contemplation, "do you think a ghoul would need a knife?"

Silently agreeing that his fellow witcher looked good enough to eat, Aiden rolled his eyes at Lambert. "If you don't stop bitching, I might offer to cut you up in bitesize chunks." 

He shot Lambert a dirty look in the hope of shutting him up. "Might even make them a salad to go with it." He was trying to deal with Lambert's mood, he was, but the asshole was making himself impossible.

"We've wiped all contracts off the boards around here. I don't see how it could be any safer than this. Yet you,"—he pointed an accusatory finger at Lambert—"are determined to wear an armorer's shop worth of leather and chainmail. Of course, that's going to be sweaty, you grumpy old fuck." 

Aiden caught the anger in his voice and felt lousy for laying into Lambert like this. But he was so sick and tired of the sarcasm and whinging. "Look, I'm used to fighting like this,"—he added, gesturing at his lighter armor—"so we are fine if anything succeeds in ambushing us."

The corner of Lambert's mouth curled up. "You're right. We should leave this sweltering shitpile behind, and head north." 

"What do you mean 'head north'?" Aiden said in bewilderment. "I am talking about your refusal to lose the heavy armor during summer. How in the sun's name does that mean 'we're heading north'?"

Lambert lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, "You just said it yourself, we've cleared all the available contracts. Which means there is nothing to do here. Why stay if there's no work?" 

Aiden stared at him slack-jawed as a sardonic smile spread on the wolf's full lips. As much as he hated Lambert for being a prick about it, he had to admit that his way of turning Aiden's own words against him was commendable.

"We can be at Loch Monduirn by midday tomorrow," Lambert said, staring off in the middle distance. "I can swing by Kagen to get us some work while you set up camp near the lake. Stay there for a few days, then head towards the coast."

Aiden had a sneaking suspicion, "How long have you been planning this?" he asked, squinting at the wolf. 

Lambert shrugged, "Day or two..."

***

They parted ways the next morning, just before hitting the Riverdell Slopes. Aiden was going southwest towards the lake, while he headed north to Kagen. 

Usually, Lambert took his time passing through a village, grabbing some provisions, maybe playing a hand of Gwent, and having a drink at the inn. Not today, though. It had taken Lambert under an hour to ride into Kagen, check the notice board, talk to the contract issuers and get out again. 

The downside to being a witcher was that his looks didn't change all that much. He was pretty sure the smithy recognized him from that cockatrice hunt gone wrong thirty years ago and decided not to press his luck.

When he arrived at Loch Monduirn in the early afternoon, it didn't take Lambert long to find their camp. Aiden's horse, a sorrel that supposedly answered to the name Honeycrisp, was grazing near a copse of trees that shielded Lambert's tent from the sun. After unsaddling, he let his horse—unnamed, thank you very much—join the mare in her quest for luscious grass.

Dropping the saddlebags inside his tent, he noticed a piece of paper held down by an apple near the entrance. Aiden's handwriting looked like a trail of ants taking an elaborate detour to their destination. The cat treated everything he wrote as if he was composing a masterpiece, never scribbling even if it was just a seven-word note. _'At the lake, back soon. Have lunch_.' 

He picked up the apple and ducked out of the tent. _Better check if the cat is still at the lake_ , Lambert thought. He was thankful for the fruit Aiden had left him. It had been a few hours since breakfast, after all. 

Aiden introduced Lambert to this novel concept of regularly eating to keep his energy levels up. Lambert had scoffed at the idea. After sticking with it for the past two weeks, mainly because Aiden kept throwing food his way, he did notice that he felt better when it came to keeping his mood swings in check. 

Slicing up the apple, Lambert started walking towards the lake. Popping a wedge of the sweet fruit into his mouth, he savored the hint of tartness on his tongue. Aiden had a knack for picking the best apples.

They had been traveling the Path together for about a month. Lambert had to admit that he enjoyed the cat's company more than he expected, which he would deny if anyone bothered to ask him.

As it turns out, the two of them made a great team. 

With his athletic build, outstanding reflexes, and the ability to move stealthily, Aiden was excellent in close-quarters combat. He didn't wield traditional witcher swords. Instead, he carried a set of medium-long dual bladed knives that were called haladies. A Barsani weapon he was trained in during his time with the cat school, traveling through Barsa and Ofir.

Lambert favored drawing out his enemies with alchemy's aid, weakening them before he would strike hard and finish the job with a few massive swings of his sword. His brother wolf, Eskel, called him lazy for it. Lambert preferred to think of it as efficient. 

It hadn't taken the two witchers long to fall into a comfortable rhythm. Aiden would sneak up on their prey while Lambert's bombs made sure it had nowhere to go. Soon after, they turned the battleground into a tornado of leather, silver, and blood. Working back to back, finishing off whatever came their way.

***

The lake was a short stroll from where Aiden had set up their camp. He made sure that Lambert's tent was in a position where it wouldn't catch too much sun, hoping to minimize as much complaining as possible. He had to admit, the biggest reason he paid attention to the location of his companions' tent, was that he enjoyed seeing the wolf happy.

Leaving the bulk of his armor at the camp, Aiden was only wearing cotton braies when he headed out to the lake. His haladies were slung over his shoulders in their baldrics. Not that he expected a fight, but he knew Lambert would chew him out if he discovered Aiden went to the lake without armor or weapons. 

Aiden spotted a perfect perch. Surrounded by rocky cliffs, he saw to the other side of the silvery-blue pond. He hadn't felt the sun on his bare skin for weeks, and Lambert probably wouldn't be back for another few hours, so he figured he might as well soak in some of the warmth while he had the opportunity. 

He put his weapons down at the back of the outcrop, slid down his braies, folded them up, and laid them next to his knives. 

The weather-worn cliff was pleasantly warm when he got down on his stomach. Folding his arms together, he rested his chin on his wrists and gave a satisfied sigh. From this position, he could easily spend the afternoon basking in the sun. His thoughts drifted right along with the clouds he saw in the reflection of the silver-blue lake.

When Aiden met Lambert in Toussaint four weeks ago, they were after the same target. The owners of two vineyards, who weren't on speaking terms, had hired them to clear out a nest of nekkers, which meant that there were two contracts for one task. Aiden suggested they clear out the nekkers together, claim their coin, and the vintners would be none the wiser. They extended their alliance to finish a few jobs in Beauclair that required two sets of weapons.

Aiden sensed that it wasn't easy for the wolf to deal with someone else traveling with him on the Path. At the best of times, he was abrasive, tended to pick fights, and attempted to keep his emotions locked away, even from himself. Aiden found it painful to see the man struggle with himself. 

It didn't take Aiden long to figure out that Lambert had closed himself off as a deterrent mostly. He wasn't exactly sure why, but the more he could see through the cracks of Lambert's carefully maintained mask, the more he wanted to rip it off and see what was behind it. 

Aiden took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He smelled the sweetness of nearby water. A vague hint of spicy saltpeter and celandine carried on the breeze. He always enjoyed the scent of Lambert when it floated by. 

His eyes flew open in shock. _Shit, Lambert is back already._

Listening with intent, Aiden heard Lambert's footsteps close in, and he knew there was no way he would reach his braies in time. _This could get ugly._

***

The cat school witcher would hear him approach far before he would be in sight. Not that Aiden had better hearing than him, Lambert just lacked any form of subtlety. 

"And? Any interesting contracts?" Aiden asked only a moment before Lambert broke free of the trees that shielded the lake from view. 

He kept walking in the direction of his voice, "The usual. I took two that sound simple and should make enough coin to last another few days."

The grass made way for stones at the shore of the lake. Lambert adjusted his gaze to Aiden, "One is a ghoul infestation, the other—" 

Words stuck in his throat, his brain shut down, and he immediately halted. 

Aiden was naked. 

Completely.

Fucking.

Naked. 

_Gloriously so_ , Lambert had to admit, studying his friend's tightly muscled shoulders and back. _Really gloriously so._

Laying on his stomach, Aiden spoke up, "What about the other?" 

"Other what?" Lambert said, the words coming out tighter than he wanted. 

Attempting to cover up his temporary state of distraction, he burst into a coughing fit, thumping his chest for emphasis. 

"The other contract."—Aiden raised his head—"one is a ghoul infestation. What's the other?" Folding his hands under his chin, he gave Lambert a searching look. 

Blinking a few times, Lambert continued, "the other one is supposedly a water hag, but from what the alderman told me, it sounds more like a prank." Lambert prayed to all the gods he didn't believe in that he sounded normal again. He pulled at the collar of his armor. _Why the hell is it so hot out here?_

Lambert had no clue how to act. The shock of seeing his friend draped over the grey slab of stone made him _feel_ things. He was unable to decide if these were _good_ things. _Maybe that apple had gone off_ , he thought.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He was trying to convince himself that this was no big deal. _It's just skin. Everyone has skin._ Gods damned; this sure was an obscene amount of Aiden he had never before seen. 

He couldn't stop looking and winced as a realization hit him; he didn't _want_ to stop.

Tossing his leather armor onto the slab, he sat down next to Aiden. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he allowed himself—just for a moment—to absorb the tranquility that radiated off Aiden. 

Strawberry blond waves framed his face, a short dark stubble shading his jaw. Three thin lines, forming a claw slash, ran across his left cheekbone and had faded into dusty pink. His nose was slightly crooked. Lambert wondered if he had broken it, or if it was natural. 

He felt like a sleaze bag as his eyes traveled south further along Aiden's back. Drinking in the expanse, he lingered on the dimples in his lower back, just above his ass, which incidentally was the same light gold as the rest of him. 

_So, this was what Aiden did when Lambert wasn't around._

Lambert didn't remember his trousers being this tight. He felt his heartbeat thunder through his body, ending up in a persistent throbbing between his legs. Scowling down at his traitorous cock, he concluded his trousers weren't the issue. The issue was that he was having a—very fucking visible—reaction to Aiden lying there. 

_Yeah, just a reaction of your body_ , Lambert nodded in an attempt to convince himself. Aiden was stunning, Lambert had functioning eyes, and his body had gone on autopilot. That was all. Simple. 

He knew his fellow witcher was handsome. He could see how people looked at him during their travels. Aiden got looks from men and women everywhere. He had never acted on the inviting smiles as far as Lambert knew. Lambert saw a shadow move in his brain that looked suspiciously much like relief over that. 

Aiden seemed to have a sixth sense for noticing when Lambert started to close himself off and had pulled him out of his head more than once in the past weeks. Arguing that Est Est tasted better than Erveluce, challenging Lambert's bomb-making skills, or telling stories about jobs he worked south of the Nilfgaardian Empire. _You allowed Aiden to pull you out. You like him, you dense asshole._ Lambert lamented.

When Aiden spoke up, Lambert jerked and pulled his knees in, immediately regretting the move. His trousers went from noticeably tight to extremely uncomfortable. Resting his arms on his knees, he was trying for a casual look. Even though he probably looked more like a moping teenager.

"What?" he growled irritably.

"I said, I'm going to turn onto my back. Otherwise, my ass will get a sunburn." Pausing for a moment, Aiden raised his head just far enough to look at Lambert. "I thought you'd appreciate a warning so you can get back to camp if you want to."

Lambert frowned "why would I leave? Do you want me to leave?"

"No, but I wanted to offer you an easy out to what's becoming quite an awkward situation." Aiden mused. 

"What do you mean, awkward situation? I'm just sitting here!" Hearing the anger in his voice made Lambert cringe. He frantically tried to figure out how to get himself out of this mess without being a complete tit and running off at a full sprint. 

***

When Aiden realized the musky smell of arousal was coming from Lambert, he offered him a chance to leave. The sweet scent told him more than Lambert voluntarily would, and Aiden felt like he owed Lambert an easy out.

Of course, the stubborn fuck had doubled down and was hell-bent on pretending his balls weren't aching. At this point, Aiden decided, Lambert had only himself to thank for his current predicament. 

He barked out a laugh as he rolled onto his back. "Lambert,"—he locked eyes with the wolf—"we're witchers." Propping himself up on his elbows, he raised a suggestive eyebrow and flared his nostrils, giving Lambert a knowing look.

Horror dawned in the wolf's golden eyes. Aiden felt for Lambert as he saw all the blood drain from his face, having a pretty good notion of where that blood was traveling. 

"If your pupils dilated further, they'd swallow up this lake right now," Aiden said, lying down again with a snort and closing his eyes to soak up the sun's last rays. 

***

Deciding the situation was probably at peak embarrassment, Lambert stretched his legs in front of him. No use in cutting off circulation if Aiden smelled him anyway. He took in a whiff of the air and felt like an idiot. He could smell water, earth, and a heavy blanket of arousal, of which he was the center. 

He caught another scent alongside it. Lambert's brow furrowed when he realized the heady aroma had undertones of eucalyptus and cedar, like the soap Aiden used. _Is this turning Aiden on?!_

Emboldened by that realization, Lambert shifted his gaze further down Aiden's lithe frame. He counted more scars on Aiden's front than he had on his back. Considering how close Aiden got to targets while fighting, it made sense. 

His chest was lightly covered in copper hairs, getting darker as they formed a line down his stomach. Aiden's nipples were tight little buds, the color of almonds, or caramel. Lambert tensed and swallowed hard, wondering if Aiden tasted as sweet as he looked.

Two nearly identical horizontal scars ran just under his pecs. Lambert recognized them for being surgical. Nothing in their bestiary would make such neat incisions unless trained as a medic and holding a scalpel. 

He paced himself when he got to a recently healed together scar snaking down Aiden's abdomen—starting just above and slightly to the left of his navel. It still looked tender, and Lambert had to resist the urge to track over it with a finger. His eyes followed the scattered trail of hair that turned into dark curls.

Lambert suppressed a groan as he shifted uneasily on the shore of the lake. Yup, still hard. Aiden must have caught the sound because he chuckled softly.

"Are you enjoying yourself, asshole?" Lambert bit out.

"You need to get that stick removed from your ass, Lambert."

***

Aiden had been watching Lambert take in his body from beneath his lashes. He was waiting for the inevitable confrontation with a pit in his stomach and knew this was not how he should have tackled the subject of his sex. _So much for having a friend,_ Aiden thought with a sigh. 

Lambert caught his breath. "So, the stories about the Cat School are true." More a statement than a question. 

Aiden nodded. "They allowed anyone who was trainable to join."

It was silent for a moment as they both stared over the darkening lake. Aiden saw Lambert clench his jaw while processing the information.

"I fucking hate that they did this to you. To us." Lambert picked up a pebble and threw it into the lake. 

"I don't," Aiden replied in a voice steadier than it had any right to be. "I had a choice, Lambert." 

_Time to dance,_ Aiden thought. Bracing himself for the oncoming collision as he watched Lambert recoil.

"What do you mean you had a choice? Those assholes come in, swoop up children that no one will miss, and brainwash us into good little soldiers. Then we're made to go through the most excruciating shit I've ever endured in my life, on the off chance that we'll come out of it alive at the end." 

Aiden felt a sting in his chest as Lambert growled through gritted teeth. "How the fuck do you call that a choice?"

Aiden started talking. "When I was six, my sister and I were playing outside. I remember a neighbor telling my mother she was lucky to have two beautiful girls. I wondered who they were talking about because the only girl I saw was my eight-year-old sister." 

Lambert inhaled as if he wanted to speak. Holding his hand up, Aiden interjected, "Let me get this out. After that, we can break camp and go our separate ways. I need to say this without you interrupting me."

Lambert gave him a curt nod, setting his jaw and folding his arms over his chest. 

_Good_ , Aiden thought. _Let's see if the wolf can wrap his head around this. If not, I'll travel back to Ofir, there's enough work there._

"As a kid, I drove my parents crazy by going out on grand adventures. I would pack a satchel and disappear into the forest for days. Wandering the woods, trying to catch small animals to study, explore ruins I would bump into and just take in the silent comfort of nature." Aiden had loved adventuring and exploring without any limitations.

"Back then, I didn't understand why my family was worried about me. After all, my father had taught me to hunt, I knew which plants to avoid, and I was good with ropes, securing myself in the top of a tree when I needed to sleep. In short: I knew how to survive."

"When I was eight, my father picked me up from a town that was a two-hour ride away from our village. My father wasn't a violent man, but that day he spanked my ass so hard that I could feel every little pebble on the road."—he chuckled—"Once home, I could tell that my sister had been crying, and my mother looked at me with a disapproving scowl."

Aiden heard the bushes near the waterside rustle in the wind. "Later that night, my sister told me that they found a mangled body just outside the village, presumably attacked by a wild animal. I was pissed off because I had missed the commotion. I went out for an adventure, and instead, it had come to the village while I wasn't even there."

"It wasn't until my sister started crying and begging that I wouldn't go out again, that I realized they had thought the body to be mine."—he gave an apologetic shrug,—" It turned out to be a girl from a neighboring village. She was on her way to her grandmother when she was shredded to bits by starving wolves. From that point on, my mother kept a close eye on me, my sister stuck to me like glue, and the adventures of Aiden were over."—he paused to swallow the lump in his throat—" I wasn't just held captive in my own body anymore; I became a prisoner outside of it too."

Lambert got up and started pacing while Aiden continued his story. "My sister's body started to change. It became softer, and she started to develop breasts. Boys and men started to pay attention to her, and my mother explained that my sister was becoming a woman. She also explained that _I_ would be next."

"Until this day, that is the most horrifying threat I've ever heard. I started to look for a way out, by any means necessary." 

"A year later, a cat school witcher came through our village. The witcher needed a place to sleep, and my father offered our stables to him. That night, I pretended to head to the outhouse and circled back to the stables. I begged the witcher to tell me about his adventures. He asked me for my name, and I gave it to him."

Aiden took a deep breath, remembering the moment vividly, "Guxart, was the first person to ever say my name without question or mock in his voice." He had to blink to keep his vision from getting blurry. 

"I stayed in the stables the whole night entranced by tales of monsters, epic battles, and amazing travels. I think he knew what my deal was, and he told me that there was a place in the world for adventurers, where they could be free. He also told me that he would be passing through our village again on the way back and, if my parents agreed, I could go with him to train as a witcher." 

He looked up at Lambert, who at this point had stopped pacing. "When Guxart came back through our village later that year, he sat down with my parents. They spoke for hours, and the next morning they turned to me. For the first time in my life, my parents asked me what **I** wanted. I told them I wanted to train, to travel, to fight. I wanted to belong somewhere without being judged." Aiden heard the scoffing sound Lambert made and chose to ignore it. 

"My sister helped me pack, and we went south to Stygga for training with the other young ones. Guxart didn't just teach me to fight. He took the time to explain precisely what the mutations would do to my body and that there was no guarantee that I would survive the changes. He never forced me into anything."

A heron passed low over the water, diving in and coming back up with a fish. The bird almost looked smug. 

"I was eleven when I _chose_ to start the trials. I never have, or will, regret that decision." 

Aiden looked at Lambert, knowing there was a significant chance of Lambert not understanding any of Aiden's words. After all, 'understanding' was a word he doubted Lambert would be able to look up in a dictionary. 

***

Lambert was shocked. Not of Aiden's sex. He had never cared much for categorizing his attractions. In all his decades of walking the Path, he felt drawn to whoever managed to move something in him. _And Aiden is definitely making parts of me move._

Lambert was shocked that Aiden chose to become a _witcher_. Lambert tried, and failed, to have peace with what he was. The thought that one day he might be able to accept it was decades in the distance if it ever happened. 

But to choose this life? _Why would you want to be tortured into becoming a monster?_ He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"You almost sound as if you think that your parents, and Guxart, did you a favor." Lambert put his hands on his hips, looking down at Aiden.

"They gave you to a fucking stranger, Aiden! They sent you away, so they didn't have to take any responsibility!" 

He was furious at Aiden's parents for caring so little about their son, at the witcher schools for destroying their lives, at Aiden for making him care about all of this shit. 

Thank fuck Lambert knew how to deal with anger. It was the one emotion he excelled at. 

The fuel that kept his motor running. A red-hot driving force behind his swords, every sip of spirit, bar brawls, and faceless strangers he'd fucked over the decades.

Anger was like oxygen; Lambert couldn't imagine a world without it. 

"How is that 'belonging somewhere without judgment' working out for you?" Lambert heard the mocking fury in his voice. "Because I sure as fuck haven't seen that much love for our kind in the past decades." 

***

"You self-absorbed fuck!"—Aiden rose in a fluid motion and let go of his rage.—" You're so busy wallowing in your personal sob story that you can't even imagine another side to the coin!" 

He was so fed up with Lambert's unwillingness to accept anything that didn't make sense in his own little victimized world. 

"What do you suggest I should have done? Keep my head down and pretend nothing was out of the ordinary? Join my parents while they happily ignored who I was? Buy into the lie and waste away in some backwater village?"

Aiden took a step closer to Lambert, their faces just inches away. "Maybe I should have taken a page out of your playbook. Hide and get a cow so I could cry over spilled milk until the day I died. Gods forbid actually making life _bearable_ , or worse, _enjoyable_!"

Aiden jabbed an outraged finger into Lambert's chest, "If it wasn't for Guxart, I would be dead now. And not from old age."—Aiden flattened his hand on Lambert's chest and pushed, making him stumble towards the wall.

"You treat what we are as a death sentence. While I thank the sun every day that I am alive." 

Aiden turned away from Lambert and stared out over the loch with stinging eyes. His throat was tight, and he had to resist the urge to hug himself. _I am not giving this asshole the satisfaction of seeing me like this._

"So, if there is anything that bothers you about me or my life choices," Aiden said, gesturing down at his body, "feel free to let me know right now. Let me know if my balls are bigger than yours."

When he turned around, Lambert was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Staring at Aiden in quiet contemplation. Aiden glanced at his face, bracing for rejection, searching for a hint of the wolf's emotions. 

He didn't see it as much as he scented it. Taken aback by the heavy scent of want and need, Aiden swallowed as he saw no rejection in Lambert's eyes. What he did see was a look that made his heart skip a hopeful beat. 

***

Either he was having indigestion, or his heart actually ached to listen to Aiden's story. _Fuck, I am such an asshole_ , Lambert thought while he leaned against the wall. Looking into the cat's amber eyes, Lambert saw a fury in Aiden's face that he hadn't seen before. It made him even more beautiful. 

"I can't say that I understand your choice Aiden, and I don't want anyone to go through the horrors I've seen during the trials. It's hard to think that you would welcome this life." He paused, looking away at the loch, trying to force his brain into finding the right words. 

"Choosing life over death takes balls. I'm pretty sure yours are bigger than mine when it comes to that." He said with a melancholy smile. "So, I can't say that I understand. I can say that I'm glad you made it through and that you're here with me." 

_Fuck, this is all coming out wrong._

"I mean here, alive and not dead, right now." Lambert gestured vaguely at the stone they were standing on to illustrate that he really meant them physically standing there and nothing more.

 _Gods, strike me down right now_ , Lambert silently prayed as his existential crisis seemed to stretch on forever. He desperately wished for their comfortable bickering to make a comeback right now. Aiden was still looking at him with calculating eyes, his brow slightly furrowed. 

Despite Aiden being the one with no clothes on, Lambert felt naked. He'd never felt this exposed in his whole life, and he _hated_ it. 

"For fucks sake, say something, Aiden. We both know I will just keep digging my grave if you let me keep talking. Call me an asshole, push me off this cliff, kiss me for all I care." Lambert heard the desperation in his voice. "Just stop staring at me like you can't make up your mind about ripping out my throat or fucking me."

Before he could process what was happening, Lambert was knocked back by a massive blast. At first, he thought it was Aiden casting Aard, until he noticed the smell of eucalyptus, cedar and,— _is that arousal?!_ —hit the back of his throat. Aiden had shoved him against the wall.

Lambert became uncomfortably aware of his trousers.

Again. 

***

Aiden knew something had to break. He just hadn't thought _he_ would be the one that broke first. Hearing the panic in Lambert's voice flipped a switch inside him. Aiden calculated what the odds were that Lambert had not meant for the invitation to come through in his words. Egged on by their shouting match and the intoxicating promise of sex, Aiden decided to risk it and launched himself onto Lambert.

Grabbing Lambert's chin firmly in one hand, Aiden stroked Lambert's bearded jaw with the other. "The question, dear Lambert, is if you _want_ me to fuck you?" he growled menacingly.

"I'll admit that taking you apart sounds really damn tempting right now,"—a whimper escaped Lambert—" but I am not making this choice _for_ you. You need to stop being a victim and start making decisions, Wolf."

Aiden rolled his hips and felt Lambert's cock straining against his leathers. "Seems that part of you is leaning towards a yes." 

"Last chance to get out of this awkward situation," Aiden whispered hoarsely as he inhaled Lambert's scent and nipped at the crook of his neck. "Are you sure about this?" 

He needed to hear that Lambert wanted this. That he wanted _him_ before this would go any further. 

Aiden slid his thumb over Lambert's lips and felt him part his lips, flicking his tongue against Aiden's digit playfully, looking at him in defiance. With an exaggerated movement of his mouth, he sucked Aiden's thumb into his mouth. The warm, wet, suction set Aiden's teeth on edge. 

Lambert slurred around his thumb, grinding his hips into Aiden's, "Shut up and fuck me already."

That was all the encouragement Aiden needed. 

With a wicked grin, he laced his fingers into Lambert's hair and hungrily kissed him. Forcing Lambert's lips apart with his tongue, he drank in the flavor as he explored Lambert's mouth. The faint taste of apples lingering on his lips.

***

Much like what happened when he got pissed off, Lambert's brain shut down his logical reasoning when he was turned on. He heard himself tell Aiden to shut up and fuck him. _Excellent choice of words,_ he commended himself. _So poetic, maybe start a side-hustle as a bard._

Lambert felt Aiden run his hands under his undershirt. Scratching over his abdomen and trailing up to his chest. Lambert made a disgruntled sound when Aiden pulled his shirt off of him. They had to stop kissing for that, a sacrifice Lambert only reluctantly made.

The sweet reward of feeling the hairs on his chest brush over Aidens' made up for the rude interruption, and Lambert felt himself go weak at the knees. He had to strain his neck to stay within reach of Aiden, nipping at his lower lip before going back to kissing the cat long and desperate.

Aiden's grip on his hair was tight, and he let Aiden use it to guide his head with slow tugs. Lambert's limbs resumed their connection with his brain. He trailed his hands up over Aiden's back, pressing into muscles, caressing scars, massaging Aiden's flanks, and pulling him closer by his hips. 

***

Aiden held Lambert's head in place, holding on to his hair at the base of his skull. He let his other hand dip down between their bodies until he reached the top of Lambert's trousers. _I could get used to this,_ Aiden thought as he pulled Lambert's head back slightly, looking at the wolf's hungry eyes and swollen lips. _Fuck. he's cute when he's panting._

Slowly massaging Lambert's stiff cock over the leather caused him to take a sharp inhale, followed by his hips grinding into the touch, chasing the friction. Aiden felt a tight hot wave roll through his lower belly and pulled Lambert's head back, exposing his throat's soft skin.

Holding Lambert's head in position, he trailed kisses down his throat and sucked at the sweet spot at the hollow of his jaw. He could feel the witcher's pulse under his lips and sucked down to leave a bruise, a desperate need to claim the wolf flashed through him.

Aiden wanted more and rubbed his way up over Lambert's cock, until he got to the ties of his leathers. Undoing them with one hand was an impossible task. He gave a snicker at his own desperation to get Lambert out of his clothes. 

Aiden clawed at Lambert's trousers. "Help me out here, or I will slice you out of them."

"As long as you mend it, you can rip up whatever you want." Lambert kicked off his boots before reaching down to quickly unlace his leathers. "Besides, these were getting damn tight lately."

"Does that apply to clothes exclusively?" Aiden raised a suggestive brow as he pushed Lambert's leathers and braies down. "Or is this one of those 'kiss and make it better' clauses that apply to your whole being?" 

As soon as Lambert's trousers hit the floor, Aiden curled his hands around Lambert's cock. Lambert arched his back and pushed into his hand. 

"For fuck's sake Aiden. Are we going to screw, or are you going to keep throwing dictionaries at me?" Lambert surged forward and licked into Aiden's mouth in desperation.

"Floor. Now." Aiden hissed into Lambert's mouth. 

And for the first time since they met, Lambert complied without hesitation. 

***

Dropping to his knees without thinking was not the best decision Lambert had made that day. He winced as the impact resonated up to his spine. At least this made it easier to get rid of his trousers completely. He pulled Aiden down on top of him, which knocked the wind out of him with a grunt. 

It was worth it though, feeling the rumble in Aiden's chest rise up. "Seriously? The only thing I have to do is stroke your cock, and all of a sudden, you know how to follow directions?" He shook his head and kissed Lambert's forehead.

"What can I say, turns out I'm easy." Lambert quipped, pulling Aiden into his lap. Lambert held him by the hips as he scooted them over to the wall, leaning his back against it, the cold, smooth stone making him shiver. 

Aiden's chuckle rolled into a laugh, "You are a lot of things, Lambert. But I doubt anyone will _ever_ use the word 'easy' to describe you." 

***

Aiden didn't mean to laugh, but he couldn't stop the chuckle when Lambert fell to the floor like a sack of rocks after just two simple words. _That has potential,_ he thought. 

Straddling Lambert's legs, he sat back on the wolf's thighs, giving himself some room to work with and caressing the patch of hair above Lambert's cock. Aiden teased his fingers over the smooth, hard shaft, teasing his thumb over the slit. He gathered the precum collected there and started stroking him in slow movements.

Trailing his other hand down to his cunt, Aiden pressed down on his swollen dick and leaned back to reach further, slipping two fingers in and letting out an eager moan. 

Aiden looked at Lambert's face and saw the wolf hungrily look down where Aiden was fucking himself. With every thrust of his fingers into his cunt, Aiden felt Lambert twitch in his hand as he mirrored the movements with his hand around the wolf's cock. 

Spasms ran through him, he leaned forward and bit down on Lambert's neck hard enough to leave a mark.

***

Lambert held onto Aiden's hips, caressing over the scars on his sides and looking at the cat squirm on his lap. He felt his cock twitch involuntarily and couldn't resist sliding his hands over Aiden's legs. Pushing at the straining muscles of his inner thighs, massaging up until he was close enough to spread Aiden's lips with his hands. 

Taking over, Lambert started stroking Aiden's dick, gently stroking the swollen nub between his thumb and forefinger. Alternating tight circles with superficial strokes, he used his other hand to tease Aiden's entrance. Circling around the lips and softly pinching them between the pads of his fingers. 

He inhaled the scent and wondered how he would taste. As the thought went through his head and settled in his cock, Aiden pressed his own, slick fingers against Lambert's lips. Greedily he sucked the offered digits in and licked them clean. 

"Fuck, you taste good." He moaned around Aiden's fingers. 

Lambert looked at Aiden and shifted his hand, so his fingers pressed at Aiden's cunt, his thumb softly stroking his dick. He pushed in with two fingers and felt Aiden's muscles clench down at them as he filled him up. 

***

Aiden pulled his fingers away from Lambert's mouth and replaced them with his mouth, dipping in deep with his tongue, tasting himself on Lambert's lips. 

"I think I like this flavor on you," Aiden murmured between kisses, grinding himself onto Lambert's fingers. 

Aiden didn't think Lambert was aware of the way he was licking his lips. It gave him a pretty good idea of what Lambert wanted. Not that he was planning on making it easy on him. 

Quickly lowering his hand between them, Aiden slid his index finger into himself, alongside Lambert's fingers. The slight stretch filled him up even more, and he let out a shuddering moan. Fucking in and out for a few strokes, he could feel Lambert holding his breath. 

Pulling both of their hands up to his mouth, Aiden wrapped his lips around their fingers and gave Lambert a sly smile.

"You bastard. Are you going to make me beg?" Lambert asked, swallowing hard.

"Make you what?" Aiden gave him a blank look. _Interesting choice of words there,_ Aiden thought as he licked their fingers clean.

"I want to suck you off." 

"Questions usually come with a question mark at the end," Aiden said, locking eyes with him. 

Lambert narrowed his eyes in irritation. "Can I suck you off?"

"I could have sworn you told me you were raised in a keep, not a barn." Aiden locked his arms behind Lambert's neck and shifted, so his dick pressed up against the head of Lambert's cock. 

"Can I suck you off… Please?" The last word rolled off Lambert's tongue awkwardly as if it was the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted. Aiden chuckled as he couldn't remember ever hearing the wolf say it. 

"There's a big difference between asking if you are _capable_ of something or if you're _allowed_ to." Aiden rolled his hips teasingly, feeling his dick glide over Lambert's cockhead. "In this case, I'll assume you meant to ask if you are allowed to suck me off, not if you have the basic capability of doing so. Want to try one more time?" 

Lambert's skin had flushed to a deep red from the chest up, and it looked adorable. Not that Aiden was ever going to tell him this, the wolf was too self-aware to deal with that sort of shit. But fuck did it look good on him.

***

He could feel himself getting more flustered with every attempt at getting the sentence out in a way Aiden would accept. The challenging tone in Aiden's voice woke up Lambert's competitive streak. He decided to give it one last try; "Aiden, may I please suck you off?"

He wanted it to come out smug, but it actually came out more like an honest to god plea. He also felt a nagging sensation at the realization that he _wanted_ Aiden to deem it worthy. 

Aiden nuzzled Lambert's neck, "Lay down, so you can do something useful with that smartass mouth." After shifting around, Aiden’s ass was perched over Lambert's face, knees framing his head. 

"If you need anything, air for instance, tap your fingers against my thigh twice, if you need me to stop whatever I'm doing, tap three times. Got that?" Aiden placed Lambert's hand against his inner thighs, showing him what he meant with his fingers, making Lambert repeat the movements to get used to the idea. 

"I asked a question, do you understand what I'm saying?". Aiden's scent was pushing buttons in Lambert that he didn't even know existed. His mouth was watering, but his throat ran dry when he attempted to speak.

He swallowed, hard, and felt his cock, also hard, twitch. "Yes, twice is air, three; get off the face,"—Lambert grabbed onto Aiden's hips and pulled him down with a snarl—"sit the fuck down." 

Lambert spread Aiden's thighs for better access, licking up his slit with slow firm strokes. Lambert took his time, kissing, licking and sucking at Aiden's folds like a hungry puppy. In what seemed like an instant, Lambert could feel the juices run down his mouth and chin. 

***

Aiden canted his hips and lambert gave out a low growl. He felt his dick sliding over Lambert's mouth. As Lambert parted his lips, a hot, slick heat engulfed Aiden's cock, and he let out a shudder. Lambert sucked in and started rubbing his tongue over the tip. 

It was a lot. Aiden took a moment to enjoy the feeling of Lambert's urgent tongue, sliding over his dick, moving in swirls over the tip with just enough force to make him ache for more. Aiden knew he wouldn't last long. Especially since he had a perfect view of Lambert’s cock, twitching a glistening trail of precum onto his stomach. 

Placing his hands on Lambert's chest, he caressed his way through the dark hairs on Lambert's chest and couldn't resist scratching fine lines into his pecs with his nails. He went in slow circles, moving in on Lambert's nipples with every trace. When he finally got to Lambert's tight nipples, he took them between his fingers and rolled them. Feeling Lambert spasm underneath him, and no sign of any taps to halt him, Aiden decided to push it and pinched harder.

"You're beautiful like this." Aiden breathed between clenched teeth. "I'm not sure how long I can keep this up, pup. You're just too good."

Lambert moaned against Aiden's dick at those approving words, and doubled his efforts, sucking down with a steady rhythm that made Aiden's thighs tremble. He couldn't hold back and started rocking his hips into Lambert's face with vigor. If the wolf needed air, he knew what to do.

Resting one hand on Lambert's abs, Aiden reached out for his cock, letting the precum slick up his hand as he slowly caressed up and down, fondling his balls on the down strokes. Gently rolling them in his hand, feeling them tighten with the teasing sensation. It made Lambert thrust up involuntarily and Aiden could feel the licking at his dick become more urgent.

Aiden really wanted to see Lambert come. Wrapping his hand around his cock he started sliding up and down in the same rhythm as he was using to ride his face. 

***

His brain had checked out thoroughly, letting his body take the reins. As soon as Aiden started rocking into his face, Lambert felt a strange feeling running through him. _Pride maybe?_ He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was making Aiden, _sweet-tasting Aiden_ , feel good, and that was more than enough for him. 

When Aiden stopped teasing Lambert's cock, and started long tight strokes, twisting up with his wrist, Lambert knew there was no way he would last. A tight coil in his balls began to stir, building up with every stroke of Aiden’s palm, every grind of his hips into Lambert's face. Aiden's taste and smell were overwhelmingly delicious, and Lambert felt that he was on the verge of tipping over. 

He wanted Aiden to get there first. He pushed his tongue into Aiden's cunt, fucking up as deep as he possibly could without drowning. _An excellent way to go_ , he thought. With every thrust of his tongue, Lambert could feel Aiden's muscles clench a bit more. With every stroke over his dick, Aiden's breathing became more labored, and with every downwards roll Aiden made with his hips, Lambert felt his own cock strain more against the cat's palm. The high-strung coil of lust threatening to break any moment now. 

Lambert felt Aiden grind down on his mouth hard. His cunt clenching down on his tongue, a feral shout rolling out of his throat. As Aiden's wetness ran down his jaw and chin, it overloaded Lambert's senses, and he felt the waves of pleasure come over him. Aiden held Lambert's hips pinned to the ground and stroked him through an orgasm that seemed to last forever, hot streaks of come landing on his belly.

***

Leaning against the wall, Aiden shifted Lambert into his lap, stroking his chest and kissing his neck. Turning Lambert's jaw towards him, Aiden checked the wolf's eyes to see how he was coping with this change in their bond. Looked like Lambert was doing just fine. He was still panting slightly, and his eyes were glazed over, giving him a dreamy look. Aiden thought he'd never seen the witcher this blissed-out before.

Lambert let himself be tucked against Aiden's chest. Vaguely aware that they were both drenched in sweat and come. He didn't care. The only thing he cared about right now was Aiden. Fuck, Aiden had a bigger set of balls than Lambert ever imagined on a man. He felt a spark of hope that Aiden may actually be able to teach him how to _live_ life instead of suffering through it like a miserable cunt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With some dry kindling and a well-aimed Igni, Lambert got the fire roaring quickly. He balanced a cooking pot filled with broth and vegetables on top of the logs. It would require just the occasional poke, which he figured was the smartest option. Lambert still didn’t know how to deal with the day. _At least I’ve got trousers on, which makes this slightly less awkward._
> 
> ***
> 
> _I felt like this story wasn't completely told yet, I don't think Lambert would be great at just moseying along with everything that happened, so hey, have some light angst and communication as a dessert after the last chapter._

Lambert stared into the distance, barely noticing the lake or his surroundings. Aiden got up just a moment earlier, announcing that he needed to take a dip. Granted, they both did since they were covered in the remnants of that afternoon’s activities. 

Lambert told Aiden to go ahead, he’d follow in a bit, at which Aiden sprung up, sprinted to the edge of the outcrop, and jumped into the lake. The loud splash was followed by Aiden’s voice, “It’s not even that cold, you should really get in here before the sun sets.”

He sighed deeply. “I don’t want to leave our shit out in the open. I’ll clean up when you’re done.” It was a lie. Not that he liked the idea of leaving their gear unattended, he just doubted anyone would pass the outcrop and cause issues. He simply needed time to sort through his thoughts. The heavy feeling in his chest that he couldn’t place was weighing him down, which made Lambert utterly unable to get up just now.

The first time they worked together, Aiden nearly got Lambert’s arm ripped off with his reckless attitude and shit alchemy skills. Still, Lambert went to Beauclair with the cat. Which made no sense. Every sensible bone in Lambert’s body had told him Aiden was trouble. 

Then again, no one had ever accused Lambert of being sensible before, so why start now? They picked up contracts, settled in a comfortable rhythm working together, and Lambert enjoyed spending time with Aiden. Just as a friend, of course. It was just an appreciation for another witcher. 

Nothing more...

Until it was. 

Finding Aiden at the outcrop that afternoon changed  **_everything_ ** . Aiden’s bare ass in the sun wasn’t what facilitated the change, though. Lambert’s brain, which had been vigorously attempting to rationalize everything he felt for the past weeks,  **_that_ ** had changed.

When Aiden threw him against the wall and presented Lambert with a choice, his brain finally stopped resisting the connection: It wasn’t just a professional appreciation.  _ Well, that solves the question of why I’m putting up with an impulsive smartass that overcooks everything until it tastes like leather. _ Lambert sighed and got up, walking towards the edge of the outcrop.

In the past month, Lambert noticed Aiden’s impulsive streak.  _ Had he even checked if the water was deep enough before he jumped off that ledge?  _ Lambert looked down at the lake, he couldn’t see anything past the first meters of water, certainly not the depth of that part of the lake. 

The thought settled uneasily in Lambert’s stomach. What if this was just another impulsive move? What if Aiden only meant to let off some steam? What if Lambert wasn’t able to put these goddamn  **_feelings_ ** back in the carefully guarded box they had been lured out of? He really didn’t know how to handle this. What the fuck was he thinking diving onto Aiden like some starved animal? 

Well, he knew what he was thinking. And it scared the shit out of him, because every single goddamn time he wanted something, it was taken away.

Lambert saw a flock of birds fly past in the distance, low over the water, and he made another choice.

***

Gliding through the water on his back, Aiden wondered if leaving Lambert alone on the outcrop was the best decision. After the initial fog of sex had evaporated, Lambert got broody again. Aiden assumed it was because he needed to process everything that happened. He wanted to give the wolf some space. 

_Well, that’s not true, is it? What I_ ** _wanted_** _was to climb into his lap and stay there for a bit._ Aiden thought as he used his arms to steer away from the cliffs. However, the **_sensible_** part of Aiden’s mind, underdeveloped as it may be, ordered him to give Lambert breathing room. 

That and Aiden desperately needed to clean up. With a short sprint and a dive, he propelled himself into the lake. He was floating in the water, feeling weightless and strangely decompressed. Looking up at the sky, he saw it slowly turning pink as the sun was setting, clouds drifting by lazily in yellow and orange hues. Soon the air would shift into purple, followed by his favorite: A dark inky almost black shade of blue with bright dots lighting it up.

After the nekker fiasco, Aiden assumed that they would  **_definitely_ ** not be working together again. Hell, he half expected Lambert to lash out and add a scar to Aiden’s body as a reminder of his fuck up. Aiden knew his recklessness could have cost Lambert his arm, or worse, and was set on making it up to the wolf before they parted ways. He didn’t want to antagonize the wolf school witchers. Not after everything Guxart told him about the conflicts between the two schools. His mentor always reminded him  _ ‘Cats and Dogs fight; it’s in their nature, can’t change nature.’ _

When they got to Beauclair, Aiden purchased a black leather hide that matched Lambert’s destroyed armor in grain and thickness. That evening, Aiden loosened the jacket’s stitching to take the original sleeve off, using its remains as a template for the new one. It was the second time that week he was thankful for his mother, forcing him to learn how to sew all those decades ago. It turned out to be useful for a witcher, even if the leather for armor or the sutures for wounds were a bit different compared to the cotton and silk his mom had used. This was definitely not why his mother was fixed on teaching him stitching and embroidery, but he was happy to have the knowledge and skill. 

Attaching the new sleeve to Lambert’s armor really wasn’t that much work. He also patched up some of the smaller tears in Lambert’s jacket. As long as he was repairing stuff anyway, he figured he might as well. The rest of the leather Aiden used to strengthen some of his own armor’s worn areas.

Then Lambert started whining about his sword, which Aiden deemed absurd. After all, he hadn’t been the one that plunged the weapon into the rocks in the first place, was he? It didn’t prevent Lambert from voicing his opinion on the matter, quite loudly. He kept telling Aiden that it was his fault for not spotting the warrior nekkers; thus, Aiden had to fix it.

Being called a blind fuck once or twice, Aiden could deal with. But Lambert had opted for the not so passive-aggressive sarcastic route. No surprise there. He spent a full day bumping into Aiden every other meter with mocking words along the lines of,  _ ‘Oh, you must not have seen me, sorry kind sir!’  _

Aiden offered to get the sword repaired to get Lambert to stop bitching, not because he actually thought it was his responsibility. It would take the smith in Beauclair a few days, but the sword was repairable. In the meantime, they picked up a few contracts and cleared them. Just to pass the time. 

At first, Aiden started flirting with Lambert in subtle ways. Lambert seemed entirely unaffected by his efforts, treating Aiden’s flirting as friendly banter. Aiden wondered what it would take for the witcher to catch on and started brazenly hitting on the man. A cheeky taunt here, fleeting touches in passing, some insinuating remarks, winks, he pulled out an assortment of charm that would probably make an experienced courtesan take notes. 

Still, Lambert didn’t notice the advances for what they were.  _ Suns, the man is so oblivious it hurts. _

Thinking back on it now, Aiden theorized that maybe Lambert  **_had_ ** noticed. He just hadn’t  **_acknowledged_ ** any of it, to Aiden or himself for that matter. Otherwise, why had Lambert been so enthusiastic about participating when Aiden slammed him against the wall?

It wasn’t until a full week after the Nekker contract that Aiden asked Lambert where they could go next. He emphasized the concept of  **_them_ ** , so Lambert would feel free to tell him to fuck off, now that the debt was paid. Lambert had shrugged and said he wouldn’t mind going west. Apparently, life was peaceful there. That was it. Not even a  _ ‘Fuck you, Aiden.’ _ Just the casual mention of going west. That afternoon they rode out of Beauclair. Together.

A loud splash right next to Aiden jostled him out of his thoughts. A spray of water rained down on his face, squinting his eyes shut, he waited for the drops to stop falling. 

_ Seems that Lambert decided to join me.  _ Aiden thought with a hopeful smile.

***

The water definitely wasn’t as warm as Lambert liked it. But hey, once you’re in, you’re in, right? He swam towards Aiden, who had changed from floating on his back to treading water, so they faced each other. Aiden quirked an eyebrow. “Thought you were guarding our gear against feral wildlife and trespassers?” 

Lambert ignored the question and swallowed, “So... Now what?” he asked, trying to ignore the uncertainty in his voice.

“Well, I’d say we get out of the water, grab our stuff and head towards the camp for food.” Aiden’s eyes held a challenging gleam that Lambert could have appreciated if he wasn’t feeling so many unidentifiable  **_things_ ** . 

“Fuck you, Aiden.” Lambert gritted his teeth, _ Of course, Aiden is going to turn this into a mummer’s production. _ “You know damn well that I don’t mean the logistics of getting back to camp.”

The playful glint in Aiden’s eyes took on a darker, serious look. “Then what  **_do_ ** you mean, Lambert.” He narrowed his eyes. “I have a good nose and great hearing. But they never gave me the mind-reading mutagens, so forgive me for requiring context and full sentences.”

Lambert gestured between them, “what happened, up there. What was it to you?” feeling anxiety well up in his stomach, Lambert realized he needed an honest answer. He felt exposed, which was setting him on edge.

Aiden gave him a searching look. “I think the question you  **_need_ ** to ask is what you  **_want_ ** it to be. And I can’t answer that for you.” Offering Lambert a crooked smile, Aiden went on, “Let’s get out of the water, I don’t think this is the best place for a conversation.” 

“You’re right,” Lambert admitted and started swimming towards the shore. He heard Aiden snicker and turned his head. “What the fuck are you laughing at now?!”

***

“You. But not the way you think. I’m laughing because you just admitted I’m correct about something. This day is just full of welcome surprises.” Aiden stared at the outcrop while he spoke. 

Arriving at the shore, they waded through the last meters of the lake—just a couple of paces between them. Aiden gave Lambert what he intended to be a comforting smile. “You need to stop worrying, Wolf.” 

He reached out until the back of his hand was touching Lambert’s. Lambert glanced between them, taking the unspoken offer. Aiden squeezed his hand. “Don’t panic until there is something to actually panic about.” Letting go of Lambert, Aiden gave his shoulder a gentle push. “Head to the camp and get a fire started. I’ll climb up and grab our gear.”

Lambert’s expression was uncertain as he turned around, walking in the direction of their camp. It gave Aiden a pretty good view of Lambert’s backside. “Gods damn, that is  **_such_ ** a delicious sight.” he whispered under his breath as the wolf strolled away. 

“I can still hear you.” Lambert countered without looking back.

“Good, it’s a damn waste that you’re hiding those assets in leather all the time.” Aiden yelled before walking back to the outcrop.  _ Not that I mind looking at the leather-clad version either. _

After putting his braies back on, he gathered up all of their remaining clothes and weapons before he started the short trek back to their camp.

Once there, Aiden tossed Lambert’s clothes at him. The weapons he put in his tent, no use for them right now. While there, he grabbed a clean tunic and a pair of trousers. Back at the fire, Lambert was just tucking his shirt into his leathers. Aiden did the same and sat down, leaning his back against a fallen tree that lay only a few meters away from the makeshift fire pit.

***

With some dry kindling and a well-aimed Igni, Lambert got the fire roaring quickly. He balanced a cooking pot filled with broth and vegetables on top of the logs. It would require just the occasional poke, which he figured was the smartest option. Lambert still didn’t know how to deal with the day.  _ At least I’ve got trousers on, which makes this slightly less awkward. _

He looked over to Aiden, who pet the ground next to him. “Grab us something to drink and come sit. I think we need to talk.” Taking a bottle of wine from his saddlebag, Lambert sat down next to Aiden and took a swig before passing it over.

Aiden took a sip and seemed to be gathering his thoughts before he spoke. “I can see that you’re having a hard time with this. And I can’t help but wonder what the hell has you so freaked out about the fact that we had sex.” 

He took a second sip. “Do you regret what happened? Because for the record: I don’t regret a single thing. Well, maybe how I confronted you with my past. That was a bit of a dick move. No pun intended.”

Lambert snorted, “Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise, but not what shocked me. You chose to become a witcher, that’s what threw me for a loop. And I’m not sure if I agree with the recruitment tactics the cat school uses. Then again, I don’t agree with any of the witcher career plans.”

Taking the bottle from Aiden, Lambert took another swig of the wine and got up. “You allowed me to leave, and we both know I’m a stubborn fuck.” He walked towards the stew and poured a third of the bottle of wine into the pot before stirring. 

Lambert stared into the fire and took a big gulp of wine. “As for the sex.” He looked back at Aiden. As they locked eyes, Lambert saw the fire’s flames reflected in hypnotic amber pools that made his heart skip a beat. “I don’t regret a single thing.” 

With another swig of liquid courage, his nerves relaxed enough to voice the thought he dreaded. “Aiden, if this was an impulsive spur of the moment thing...” His voice trailed off. He couldn’t finish that sentence.

***

Aiden didn’t  **_want_ ** Lambert to finish that sentence. “I might have missed those nekker warriors back near Vedette, but you, dear Lambert, are the blind one.” Aiden chuckled as he saw the scowl on Lambert’s face. “I’ve been hitting on you since the day we met. I even doubled the effort in the past week because you were too oblivious to notice it.”

Lambert returned to sit next to him, giving Aiden an annoyed look. “You flirt with  **_everyone_ ** , Aiden.”

Aiden scoffed. “I might turn up the charm to get what I want, but I don’t flirt with everyone.”

Lambert blinked and pointed the bottle towards Aiden with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, you do. The innkeeper at Francollarts? You asked her for a blowjob.”

“I told her to suck my cock because she tried to sell us moldy bread!” Aiden snorted with laughter and took a swig of the drink. “If she had dropped to her knees, the only thing she would have sucked in was her last breath.”

“Okay, the smithy at Riedbrune, he gave you that jug of Sodden mead after you pretty much jerked off on the swords he was working on—which, by the way, were shit quality.” Lambert mused. “I felt dirty, just standing next to that exchange.” He shuddered and wrinkled his nose in mock disgust.

Aiden put the bottle out of Lambert’s reach. “Because  **_you_ ** like honey mead, you dipshit! I didn’t plan on fucking the smithy!”  _ Oh shit.  _ Aiden felt his face and chest flush crimson and hoped his tan would cover it up. 

Lambert gave him a disapproving squint. “Oh, you were planning on fucking me then?” he growled and crawled over Aiden’s lap towards the bottle. “What was your plan anyway, Aiden? If today is just another one of your impulsive stunts, I’m out.” Lambert’s fingers slid around the neck of the bottle. 

Aiden looked down at his lap; at this point, Lambert was practically lying in it, and he had the urge to both kiss and punch the wolf. “I can’t say that I had a grand scheme drafted in which I would seduce you, but yes, I  **_am_ ** interested in you that way.” He couldn’t resist brushing his hand over Lambert’s back. “I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. Do I need to draw you a picture?” 

*** 

Lambert sat back against the tree, dumbfounded he stared at Aiden.  _ What the fuck did he just say? _ He swallowed and blinked a few times in an attempt to kickstart his brain and mouth. “So, let me get this right. You’re interested in seeing where this”—he gestured between them—“could go.” 

Lambert gazed back into the fire. “What if it changes  **_everything_ ** ?”

Aiden rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Yes, Lambert, I’ll spell it out for you: I see you as more than just a fellow witcher and friend, I have for a few weeks. And I would like to find out where this leads.” 

Aiden reached for the bottle that had been idly sitting in Lambert’s hand. “As for things changing: they already have. There is no going back, that’s something we will have to deal with.” 

Aiden took the last swig of wine from the bottle, placing the empty vessel next to him. “So the question is, do  **_you_ ** want to see if we can multiply the mayhem we cause by being together?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

Lambert swallowed hard and glanced at Aiden. “I’m a moody bastard that has a hard time holding my tongue. I pick fights—which includes fights with you—go on benders, and I probably will get us banned from about half the villages on the continent.”

Aiden smirked at the honesty. “I have been traveling with you for a month, none of this is news to me. And I’ve already started a list of villages we need to bypass.” Lambert sulked next to him. “This is not an answer to my question, however.” 

Lambert sighed. “It might cost us work once we get a reputation together. I know I’d pick getting eaten by ghouls over having to deal with both of us.” Aiden gave him a pointed look. Lambert scrambled to add, “Yeah, I do. I do want to try.” As the confirmation left his lips, Lambert felt Aiden’s hand in his. “Why did I have to find a guy with a fucking hard-on for communication?” 

Aiden laced his fingers through Lambert’s. “Because someone has to counterbalance your incompetence at it.” He gave Lambert a challenging grin. “Can I sit closer to you?”

Lambert raised his arm so Aiden could scoot in. “I don’t know,  **_can_ ** you?” That made Aiden snort, and he poked Lambert between the ribs as he moved in. 

Putting his head on Lambert’s chest, Aiden let out a content sigh. Lambert curled his arm around Aiden’s shoulders, pulling him closer to his chest. “And you know, It’s not like you’re perfect.” 

“What do you mean? I don’t have  **_any_ ** flaws whatsoever.” Aiden quipped, looping his arms around Lambert’s hips and waist, snuggling up to him. 

“Well, I mean, you’re an impulsive, reckless asshat that  **_never_ ** shuts up. And you can’t cook a decent meal to save your life.” Lambert kissed the top of Aiden’s head, inhaling the cedar and eucalyptus coming from his scalp.  _ And a hint of something that smelled scorched? _

Aiden glanced up and locked eyes with Lambert. He stretched up for a kiss. Just a moment before their lips touched, Aiden whispered, “If  **_I’m_ ** the bad cook, then why is  **_your_ ** stew burning right now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly, a wild chapter appears!  
> It uses slight angst, it might be effective? You tell me.
> 
> A huge thanks to [sohydrated](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohydrated/pseuds/sohydrated/works) for another amazing beta read.

**Author's Note:**

> My eternal gratitude goes to [sohydrated](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohydrated/pseuds/sohydrated) who immediately jumped into the paper boat of Trans!Aiden with me and helped me get this boy into the world. In getting the fine details right for this fic, her beta-ing was invaluable. That and shenanigans with likeminded people are the best shenanigans <3
> 
> Second shoutout to the Witcher Rarepair Discord, all of you are treasures. I came for the ork/witcher smut, stayed for the people.
> 
> ***
> 
> Title is blatantly stolen from the [Katzenjammer song 'Rock-Paper-Scissors'.](https://youtu.be/WqmbqnjbLco) It's a beautiful song about how you need to own your choices.  
> For those wondering: A haladie is a double-ended knife, originating from Syria in our world. In Witcherverse they come from Barsa. Aiden trained in wielding them during a stint South of the Nilfgaardian Empire.
> 
> I did an art to go with chapter 2:
> 
> [](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/1674436)


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